Days in the Life

This week = fewest pictures & zero events.

They can't all be dramatic like last week and thank heavens for that.

Michael:

Is in his last week of oral surgery service before starting his last rotation of residency. He'll spend the next four months on Trauma ICU, then his chief year is all oral surgery service. He was on call this weekend which meant rounding on Saturday and Sunday mornings, but he made it to 11:30 church. We were already there since we go early to set up primary, so when he slid into the bench by us at 11:29 Bennett yelled, "DADA!!!" And a friend in our ward in front of us said, "It's a good sign they aren't calling you Michael -- glad you're getting some time in with them!" And it made me laugh. He does get such good time in with his kids whenever he can. I've started putting together some outreach stuff for us to finally start looking around at different jobs and it is making me a little antsy to know our next step in life. Michael loves what he does and that's the best. He helped an MMA fighter that broke his jaw in a fight this week -- in round 1, but he still fought all 3 rounds. I feel like residency has made me tough in a lot of ways. But I'm just never gonna be that kind of tough.

Maddie:

Worked in the garden on Saturday which I just never do because that's Michael's spot. But I felt bad he was working this weekend and asked if there was anything he needed us to do while he was gone, and he showed us a little spot he wanted to put new mulch down on once the weeds were gone. So the boys rode their balance bikes back and forth while I pulled weeds on Saturday morning and we got that spot looking so fine! I showed Westin and asked if he thought daddy would be happy, and he said, "Well maybe so, until he sees that," and proceeded to point to the huge rest of the backyard that has lots and lots of weeds. Sigh. I'm just always going to feel more satisfied with a clean kitchen than anything I can do outside. But he did lay down nice new mulch when he got home, and then we all went to Salsa's for dinner! Otherwise this week was just full of our routines -- audiobook trips to pick up groceries, library story times, preschool, playgrounds, naps, piano lessons, scripture class, and lots of clapping when Bennett pees still. The sense of accomplishment hasn't faded for him at all and it's quite tiring to keep this up, but we're for you, Bennett.

Westin:

Our dinner at Salsa's on Saturday night was maybe the most fun we've ever had at a restaurant all together. The boys were coloring and snacking on chips, Bennett's dipped one drop into salsa and Westin none at all because "Spicy!", and chatting with us. Westin said, "Do you know who my favorite family is? This one!" And pointed to each of us. And they both just kept making us laugh so much. I don't know, maybe cheese enchiladas just always make me sentimental. But it was fun. We also had more fun with his Reading in 100 Lessons book this week because I stopped stressing about getting through a lesson every time we sit down to do it. He's still so little. But he likes doing it. So if he's interested and focused, we move through some activities in a lesson. The minute it gets contentious at all, I put it away until tomorrow. We're in no rush and it has helped.

Bennett:

I started telling Bennett more often that there is a baby in my tummy but now he just seems to think we all have babies in our tummies and he really likes patting his and showing it to me. But when I ask him if it's a brother or a sister he consistently says sister and Westin consistently says he wants another brother. We're excited to find out the gender this week! Something about Bennett is just so, so sweet and he makes Michael and I laugh so much. I made these cookies for the first time tonight and watching him eat one was just thoroughly enjoyable. He's afraid to poop on the potty, which I was hoping we avoided because the first week he didn't seem to care, but now we're there and it's much less joyful than watching him eat a big cookie. But he'll get it. I can't wait to see what he does with his sweet, sweet personality as he gets bigger. I think he's going to love having a baby around but I'm already so sad when I think about those weeks after a c-section when I can't pick him up. Sweetest little guy.

Baby Dae 3:

Still can't feel this baby move, and so excited to find out if this is a girl or boy! Both will be so fun. I am still as sick as I've been since 6 weeks. I miss laughing hard. Bedtime is so hard because we always laugh so much but that's when I'm the sickest and laughing the most and it's a rough combo. I need lemon everything. I wanted lemon frozen yogurt so bad this week but didn't want to go out to get it, so I squeezed a fresh lemon over vanilla ice cream. And I really liked it. Non-pregnant me would never do that, ever. Luckily I'm in the right place at the right time to be craving lemons! Fresno citrus is in full swing and we're surrounded by oranges and lemons right now.

I tried letting him watch a show when things needed to happen around here but that does nothing.
Now we know.

Kids Yoga. Bennett hasn't shown any interest in participating but he's entertained by it. Westin likes the Spiderman moves.

Lemon. On Ice Cream.

Coloring at Salsa's. Restaurants with coloring and some pre-food snacking food are such a breeze compared to others.

Lots of letter practice these days, he loves to draw each of our names or have us spell different words for him to write.

The most snow we've seen all winter.

Bennett was such a little man at church today.

These cookies! I've made the same recipe for ages but wanted a bigger, thicker cookie.
These were delicious! Probably heavily influenced by the fact that we haven't made cookies in months, but still.

Playing with dinosaurs and tupperware while wearing his hat that he found.
It's sizes above his age and already too small. I love him.

When You're Happy to See a Monday

This Monday is more welcome than most because A) Michael has tomorrow off! and B) I am happy to see this week come to a close. It was a rough one.

Michael:

has started thinking about how to initiate job searching as we head into the last rotation of his third year. It's hard to even imagine life after this long road! It's a weird feeling to not have a concept of where or what life will really look like next summer. We feel like the months leading up to baby have become busy with plans and visitors, and then he's in his chief year and downhill stretch. So we've got a few plans this week to initiate some job searching and it feels good to be doing something. He was happy to work his way to a three-day weekend this week! He was sweet to set up the van with a new phone charger and adapters that I need to listen to audio books while I drive. I always love to skip out on product research when I can... Google has made all decisions harder and easier. We didn't see him much on Valentine's Day but our date last weekend counted!

Maddie:

This week was long and rough because of a situation with my family that felt really new and hurtful, but from all the hard I learned (or relearned) these things:

1) It's wonderful to have a family that wants to spend time together and do things together,

2) I'm grateful that my brother married someone who is my sister in every sense of the word,

3) I think it is never going to get easier, only harder, to live far away from my family -- but I'm grateful to have a family that I miss rather than not care about that,

4) Life stages are changing and it is a good thing but with new territory to figure out,

5) I don't know how I'd cope with basically 95% of my life without my incredible friend Becca,

6) Honesty is the harder route but better route if something is really hurting you -- I hate looking back on the times in life I wish I was more open,

7) My parents and siblings and their spouses are really incredible people with great relationships,

8) If there was a class to learn to communicate things I feel passionately about without crying, I'd give them my money so fast.

9) I am so grateful for Michael. We have the dumb things we fight about and the things we're not great at. But when life hits me hard, Michael is just there and loving and I feel really lucky to have him on Team Maddie on bad days. 

That's all vague and annoying and I wondered if I'd even write anything remotely about the painful part of this week, but it was a really big deal to me and this blog is a record for me to remember more than just the highlights. So there it is. Also, still feeling so sick is not helping anything and I'm so excited to hit 18 weeks soon and hopefully feel better. And to find out the gender of this little one!

We LOVED seeing our friends James and Jamie this week! They drove through Fresno "on their way home" from Disneyland which was so nice! We went to dinner with them Saturday night and had fun catching up. I was so sad when they moved from Fresno to Utah but I'm glad we've still met up when we're able to. Good friends!!! Good friends just make such a difference in life.

Westin:

Helped me pick out some sunglasses for Michael for Valentine's day and we ended up getting them at Costco. There was no price on them and I said, "We should go ask them how much these are and maybe get them for daddy," and he said, "Probably they're $500. He's going to love them." And I was like, "Probably they're $25, and probably we won't get them if they're $500." And he said, "I'll get them if they are, I need my card!" Because he always keeps our old hotel keys and calls them $500 because he associates them with credit cards. It was just so funny to me. The four-year-old mind is fun to experience. Except for when it's miserable and grumpy :) He is soaking in church and family lessons more than I anticipated and that's fun! We also started the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons book and he never really loves it the whole time, but he told me one day that he feels good inside when we learn to read, so that was cute. (Also, the sunglasses were $25. Why did Bob Barker leave Price is Right before I could get there!?!!)

Bennett:

Is potty trained except when it's Saturday. Basically he still needs some promptings or he's still recognizing "I'm Peeing" rather than "I Need to Pee" mode, which I can totally handle throughout the week in our proactive routine because we don't have accidents. But on Saturday we had some slip ups because we are just living a different life. This was our first Saturday full of chores in a while and it honestly felt so good. Michael made our yard look great and the boys were having fun helping him, so I was able to clean so much of the house. On Sunday we had family night with a family in our ward and they were so fun to be with. Bennett loved hanging out at their house and did a great job using a big potty for the first time today at both Stake Conference and our friend's house. He's so, so, so so loving. So loving. Grateful for that every day!

Little painters. This kept them busy for a lot longer than I expected!

Chaco is back!

He drew each person in our family plus Kitty. I love this picture.

My friend Ali is the best baker! These were SO yummy.

My valentines!

They JUST discovered the baker hates I gave them for Christmas that have been hanging by their kitchen for months.

Watching the rain at school. We have had so much!

Heart pizza -- easy but festive is still where I'm at for holidays.

This is how Chaco sleeps. Completely covered by his blanket, hidden away.

He loves to eat the pulp while he juices oranges. It's a great little job for him!

Cutest project from preschool

Jamie! So so fun seeing their family.

They love to send Ali or Michael emojis. Sooooo many poop emojis, every time.

Rain and Routine

Alternate titles for the week:

Life after potty training -- does it exist?

Back in the dog business

Rain Rain (technically don't, but...) Go Away

We've had a wet week full of the usual, apart from being one week into potty training Bennett which takes away all the usual easy from our life right now. But he's getting it! It's just a little nerve-wracking taking him to a playground, if you know what I mean. Or library story time or basically any situation where you're hoping, hoping he keeps things classy. He really is doing great and I think I'll look back and remember that he was easy to potty train. But there are still some accidents and... "details" to work out :)

We got back in the dog business this week even though pregnancy sickness hasn't let up yet. We need date nights around here, so, dogs are back in town. We did get out last week AND this week, which feels like a big win! On Friday we went to dinner and then to a BYU Alumni fireside about marriage, then out for frozen yogurt after. One part of the fireside that stood out to me was taking away feeling defensive in marriage and family. If we can all be open to listening to how other's feel, open to improving ourselves, and communicate out of honesty and love, then we can improve together and enjoy life together. Being defensive can rob us from that.

I went to a Relief Society dinner this week and was grateful Michael made it home right before it started. He also went to dinner this week with his residents for a night out with Aspen Dental and had fun at Westwood's Barbecue. That's one of our favorite place to take visitors, such a yummy local restaurant. He made it home at a good time a few days this week and that felt so fun! Sometimes we eat dinner at 4:30. But sometimes we eat dinner at 6:30. And he was around for a couple of those :)

We're spending a rainy Sunday morning watching family videos and eating chocolate chip pancakes and managing toddler anger and also being happy. Just a day in the life!

Walking home from the park with Rosie girl

Drone entertainment

Trying to catch the drone

Bennett and his donut

I'm aware no one wants to watch my kid eat a donut except me and maybe Aunt Ali, 

but this is just so sweet to me so I want it here forever.

This is pregnant me. Lemon yogurt and tart original, with only fruit.
Everything chocolate seems gross to me right now,
and I just want all the lemon things. If you know me you know this is weird.

Latest cross stitch order to go out. I love this anniversary present!

Library story time is back on! Our Wednesdays needed it.

This little girl sat down right between the boys and they looked at each other like, "What??"
It was so funny to me.

Palmer for the day. Bennett is in heaven when a dog is around.

These guys and their Rosie dog, we love when she visits us!

Watching family videos Sunday morning, this is Westin's preschool Christmas program.
He thinks it's so funny to see his class on TV singing.

Potty Training Benny Boy

Our week was mostly defined by this:

So I'm just keeping this short. Michael had his first weekend at home in four weeks, and I've been waiting for the chance to potty train Bennett. So Michael took Westin to a trampoline park on Saturday morning, out to lunch, then to a hike about 90 minutes southwest of here. The hike was in Coalinga, which is a random little town we once drove through on our way to the coast and it has for some reason REALLY stuck with Westin. I think he saw a firetruck there? He even tells people that we are going to move to Coalinga. We are not going to move to Coalinga.  Then they brought us home Cafe Rio for dinner and then I had lined up a babysitter to get out of the house to see a movie. I knew from experience that the first day of potty training is simultaneously the most boring slash mentally tiring day. We saw On the Basis of Sex and it was so, so good. I loved it. Pictures for the rest:

Missed this from last week: My sample buddy even though we both know it's going to be Carmel Cone in the end.
Favorite ice cream ever.

New play area at River Park. These squares make music when you jump on them.
Bennett in his wild things jacket is the best.

Big boys walking home from the park.

We're officially in a van! Pam and Gary were so kind to let us use their van when they got a bigger car for their sweet baby coming soon (any day!) and we have officially moved the car seats over and transitioned this transition.
The boys think it's the coolest thing ever. "We are so high!" "I've always wanted a van!" "What if someone else drives our van away from this parking lot? I don't want someone to take our van." I'm getting used to being a bigger presence on the road and feeling officially in this mom stage. The two kiddos and pregnant belly probably make that more official than a van, but, you know.

Someone is figuring out that rear-facing isn't exactly what everyone else is doing.
This is how I found him the first time I came to do their buckles haha.
But he's still backwards... they face backwards so long now! Guilty for his backward time, guilt if I turn him around.

Instruments at school

Sunbeam preschool at our house.
Do we now need to call that CTR 4 preschool?? Doesn't have the same ring, but these kids are growing up!
We've made it through the alphabet and have started back at A.

A for Alligators!

Potty training..... oh it's work. Bennett is getting it. But getting it is still work and the process is long.

We made it through the first day without any screens,
but once Westin was back in the picture on Sunday we need to pull out all the stops.

That's all for us! Just wishing someone (me I guess) had prepared our house with delicious Super Bowl junk food but, no energy for such things this weekend. Cafe Rio leftovers and the halftime show will be just fine :)